Venatus
by SQUISHPIE
Summary: Victor. The word every tribute in Panem strives to become. The Victors have survived the Capitol's oppression more than once, and now they're done being puppets. It's time for them to cut the strings that tie them to the game.  *Potential MJ Spoilers!*


**Venatus**

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Katniss Everdeen walked down the ice encrusted path that lead from the Victor's village to the outskirts of District 12. It was winter now, and the naked branches were heavy with fresh snowfall, blackened by the airborne soot. Coal production was at its peak this time of year, and the miners were working a full sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. But today was a district holiday where all the workers stayed home to view the mandatory Capitol broadcasts.

She was at the opening in the fence now, and ducked under quietly. Her silent, trained, tread left soft imprints in the snow, and she followed a larger pair of boot prints past her father's pond and into a small clearing surrounded by evergreen. And there was Gale, resting lazily at the base of a tree and fiddling with rope and silver wires.

"Well if it isn't Catnip," he stood and smiled.

"I brought lunch," she said, and tossed him her pack. The snow crunched as she took a seat beside him and watched as he emptied the contents.

"Dried blackberries, cheese, and a fresh loaf of…bread." He scowled, "This is from Peeta's bakery, isn't it?"

"What? You've that little faith in my baking skills?" she laughed, trying to change the subject in vain.

But Gale wasn't persuaded. "Katniss, you can't honestly love him."

She was silent, because she had no answer to his question. It was all an act, right? Everything she and Peeta did in the games was a charade to ensure their survival, and it worked. The Capitol was mesmerized by the notion of star-crossed lovers, but maybe, just maybe there was a bit of truth behind it all.

Gale's eyes turned a stormy grey and he gently tilted her head so that their gazes met. She could see his breathe, a misty white against the freezing air, and she could feel his eyes searching for the answers she didn't have.

"It's just that…Katniss, for so long I've…"

Perhaps some things were better left unsaid, because her mind drew a blank when his lips locked with hers in a desperate kiss. Her body, numb from the cold, was warmed by a fire that grew in her stomach and crawled up her throat. She could feel the stubble lining his jaw brush against her, and his smoky scent lulled her deeper into the kiss; like a moth inevitably drawn to a flame.

It felt right, this kiss. But she couldn't suppress the pang of guilt that surfaced into her consciousness. Did this gnawing emotion mean she felt a sense of…loyalty to Peeta?

It was she who broke the kiss. Both of them, gasping with flushed faces, but Gale's was not without a silly boyish grin. She knew this was a dangerous game, a fine line between love and friendship, perhaps also hate. And now she'd made a mistake by returning his intimate gesture. She'd invoked within Gale, a newfound determination to make her his lover; and all the while, she could not forget how heartbroken Peeta would be.

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"Finnick Odair you really do know how to please a woman," she flashed him a white smile through her striking red lipstick.

The gorgeous victor merely raised his Champaign glass to acknowledge her praise and didn't even notice when she slipped into the bathroom. The door closed behind her with a soft click.

His green eyes, clouded with alcohol and his body numb. He'd been away from home for a month now, hiding in the bedrooms of Capitol women and convincing them to part with their darkest secrets. Maybe it was because he didn't want to go home, hypocritical as it may seem for a victim of the games. But he knew it wasn't true. He wanted to go home more than ever, to wake up in his own bed and to smell the salty ocean breeze of his hometown. But he was afraid. Afraid that if he went back home, back to Annie, he would lose her all over again.

"…Annie," he whispered, under his breath.

_People said she was insane. Then he must also be insane, because he allowed her to steal his heart. Finnick Odair could have any woman he pleased, in all of Panem, and yet he loved a mad girl back home. _

It was then, while he was in the midst of his thoughts, that the bathroom door clicked back open and the silhouette of a woman sauntered back to the velvet-upholstered furniture.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she purred, "You know how we women are," she straddled him and whispered into his ear, "a tease."

Finnick grinned now, because this was where he drove every young woman insane. He started above her shoulders, and planted a series of butterfly kisses that continued up her neck till he reached her lips. When she closed her eyes to receive the kiss, he grinned even wider, because this was where he _broke_ ever young woman's heart.

"Times up," he breathed when the clock struck midnight. They would be angry with him, but not for long, for they knew the terms of his service.

The woman picked herself up and knotted the sash on her silky robe. She moved to a small settee across from him and crossed her legs.

"I hear you're very expensive, Mr. Odair."

"But it's nothing you can't pay," he fixed his gaze on her.

She smiled. "You know your customers well. Alright then, state your price."

"I want to know what plans the Capitol has for the Victors this year."

Again, she smiled. "I'm the board member's fiancé, not right hand man. Surely you know the sensitivity of this information."

Finnick leaned further back into his seat, "A man's tongue is looser around women; surely you know something I don't."

"I'm flattered, truly, I am," she said, watching her opaque drink swish around in the tiny glass. "But business will always be business and I do intend to fully compensate you for this _wonderful_ evening." She let the last few words linger, and broke the silence with a clink as she set the drink down on the glass tabletop.

"There's going to be a party-"

He stopped her mid-sentence, "That's all I needed to know, consider my service paid for," and he stood quickly to leave.

She raised an eyebrow. "You live up to your reputation."

Before he could reach the door, she blocked his path, and studied the look in his sea-green eyes to confirm her suspicions. A sad, small smile spread across her face as she pulled him closer for one final kiss.

"She must be an amazing woman," he heard her mumble before their lips touched, "to have captured your heart, Finnick Odair."

It was true, what they said about women who knew when the man she loved; was in love with another.

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Peeta slammed the glass bottle onto the table.

"Easy there Sunshine, wouldn't want you breaking a nail now would I?" Haymitch came stumbling into the kitchen, liquor in hand, smelling rancid, and obviously drunk.

Peeta was not in similar spirits. "I brought you what you wanted; now tell me what the Capitol wants with Katniss."

Haymitch had called earlier in the morning, rare because he never called, and even rarer that he was conscious before midday. He rambled for a bit in the phone call, and hiccuped more than once, but when Peeta heard "From the Capitol…and Katniss," within the inarticulate ranting, he knew it was time to pay his old mentor a visit.

Haymitch broke the neck of the bottle and took a swish, not caring if the jagged glass sunk into the insides of his mouth. It was a ritual really, Peeta would bring him liquor, and he would tell the boy bits and pieces of news from the Capitol.

Peeta waited quietly for Haymitch to finally take a staggering seat and retain a level of focus. And when he finally did, he could see Haymitch reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a crinkled, cream-colored envelope.

It was only a matter of seconds before Peeta registered it as a calling card from the Capitol.

Haymitch knew that look on the boy's face all too well. It was that same expression every tribute had when Effie called their names. The "Reaping Face," he liked to call it, and laughed aloud even though there was nothing funny about it.

"That's right Sunshine, you and your sweetheart are going back to the Capitol," he paused to take another drink. "Don't worry though, this time it's only for a social visit."

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**A/N: So what do you think? I thought it would be somewhat interesting to follow all the victors of the past Hunger Games and take a small peak into their daily lives. But as you can already guess, it's all going to fold into a grand plot, yay!**

**Since this story will include most victors from Catching Fire, I suppose it would have to take place before the Quarter Quell and Mockingjay for that matter…I'm not really sure, perhaps you could call it an Alternate Scenario story…whatever floats your boat.**

**P.S. I haven't decided whether Katniss is going to be with Peeta or Gale…any suggestions? But man is it fun to play matchmaker. Feel free to ask if you have any questions!**


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